1. Screamin’ Demons
The Screamin’ Demons are known for their enthusiastic support of the Demon Deacons and their tie-dyed clothing. The students inside Joel Coliseum are incredibly loud and provide a lot of the atmosphere, so join in on their chants and show your support for Wake Forest.
2. Demon Deacon
The nickname Demon Deacons originated in 1923 when the school paper referred to the team as the Demon Deacons due to their devilish play. However, it wasn’t until 1941 that the Demon Deacons mascot made his first appearance when Jack Baldwin led the team onto the field riding the North Carolina ram while dressed as the now famous character. The mascot has been a mainstay ever since and is sure to provide plenty of entertainment at any Wake Forest sporting event.
3. Wake Forest-Duke Rivalry
The rivalry between Wake Forest and Duke may get overshadowed by the Blue Devil’s rivalry with the Tar Heels, but the Duke-Wake Forest rivalry is actually the older of the two. It dates back to the 1905-06 season and has been going strong ever since. If you’re looking to attending a great matchup, then there are few better than a Wake Forest-Duke game.
4. Veterans Memorial
The veterans memorial outside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Coliseum is a touching tribute to those who lost their lives at war. Before entering the arena, stop by the memorial and remember all of those who lost their lives serving this country.
5. “The Fallen” Engravement
You can find a poem titled “The Fallen” engraved into a wall inside Joel Coliseum. The poem is another excellent tribute to those who have served this country and is a great tribute to the arena’s namesake as well, Lawrence Joel, so stop by and read the poem.
6. Pep Band
The Wake Forest pep band helps set the tone for the game with their tunes. The band plays a variety of schools songs and popular songs and is a big part of any Wake Forest sporting event. Listen for the band to create an intense atmosphere even when things aren’t going the Demon Deacons way
7. Wake Forest-North Carolina Rivalry
Like the Demon Deacons rivalries with the other two Tobacco Road schools, there is no love lost when Wake Forest and North Carolina play. There are a lot of bragging rights on the line when the two nearby schools meet, so if you want to see the “The Joel” buzz then get tickets to a Wake Forest-North Carolina game.
8. Retired Number Banners
Wake Forest does an excellent job of honoring the best players in Demon Deacons basketball history by hanging retired numbers from the rafters. The retired numbers honor all-time greats such as Tim Duncan and Chris Paul, so make sure to check them all out.
9. Dance and Cheer Teams
The dance and cheer teams at Wake Forest do an incredible job of entertaining the crowd and keeping the energy inside the arena high. Keep an eye out for the cheer squad, so you know what cheers are coming up next.
Wake Forest-NC State Rivalry
Similar to the other Tobacco Road schools, Wake Forest has a rivalry with nearby NC State as well. The proximity and familiarity between the two teams ignite the rivalry making it a matchup between the two quite the sight to behold and things can get quite intense when both schools are on top of their game, so make sure to be in attendance when State comes to town.
